


Now, forever, and always

by playlike-agirl (playlikeagirl)



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:46:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7058863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playlikeagirl/pseuds/playlike-agirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash and Ali say goodbye to their apartment in D.C and head to Orlando together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Now, forever, and always

**Author's Note:**

> Again, another prompt that I received on my tumblr that I kind of ran away with.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> If you have any other prompts you'd like me to write, head over to my tumblr (harris-pride.tumblr.com) and drop me an ask!

This had been their home for close to three years, ever since the inaugural season with the Spirit, when her and Ash had been allocated, when Ali had finally come home. But it was time for Ash to go home now, to feel the pride, the passion, the contentment of playing in your home town, in front of your friends and family. Ash had sacrificed so much for Ali over the years, she’d moved to Germany to be with her, and moved to D.C with her without even a moment’s hesitation. So Ali was ready, ready to call another city home. Although, really, she thought to herself as she packed the last of the boxes, scrawling  _ **Ash**  _on the side of the box, home was wherever Ash was. Home was falling asleep in the blonde’s arms, and waking up to light kisses on the back of her neck. Home was lazy kisses and dancing barefoot round their kitchen at 3am. Home was feeling sad and knowing that Ash would always be there to hold her as she cried. Home was laughing until her stomach ached whilst Ash watched her, laughing at the infectiousness of Ali’s laugh. Ash was her home, Ash was her family. And they would make Orlando their home too, they would raise a family there, teach their kids to play soccer and love the ocean, just like their mama.

“Are you ready?” Ash’s voice pulls Ali out of her thoughts. “Are you ready to go to our new home. Our house?”

“I’m more than ready,” Ali whispers as she pulls Ash towards her. Ash places the box she’s carrying down on the floor as Ali nestles her face into Ash’s neck.

“Hey,” Ash tilts Ali’s chin up. “Are you sure you’re ok Alex?”

Ali just nods, eyes brimming with tears. “These are happy tears, I promise,” Ali manages to laugh out, and Ash looks relieved. 

“You know I thought I’d be crying or apprehensive about leaving,” Ali continues, and Ash watches her intently. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m sad, but I’m happier than I ever thought I would be to be moving with you, to be making a home, making roots with you.”

Ash places a soft kiss to Ali’s lips. “I’m happy too baby, so happy. I can’t wait until we’re all settled in and there are mini princess Alis running around and then hopefully a little boy for me to dress up in a shark costume at Halloween, me teaching them to surf and you teaching them how to shop.”

Ali smiles up at Ash and feels her heart expand at the image of Ash as a mom. “Steady on Ash, how many kids am I going to be giving birth to?”

Ash just laughs. “We’re making an entire soccer team baby.”

Now it’s Ali’s turn to laugh. “I can’t wait to watch you try and cope with that.”

“I could cope with anything with you by my side Alex.” Ash is all seriousness now, and Ali cups her face with her palms. 

“Me too baby, me too.”

They kiss slowly as the last of the boxes are loaded into the truck, most of the stuff already being set up at the place in Orlando. Ali takes one last look at the apartment, at the place of so many memories. A place full of so much love, so much happiness, a place where she fell more and more in love with the love of her life. 

* * *

She remembers the first night in the apartment, when they’d had little to no furniture, and a blow up bed for the first week. They’d eaten takeout on the wooden floor and Ali had never felt so  _calm_  in her entire life. Sure, her palms still got sweaty when she was around the blonde, and her heart raced and butterflies fluttered in her stomach whenever Ash looked at her, but being here, living here with Ash filled her with a sense of quiet. A sense that this was the way things were meant to be. That no matter what had happened in the past and whatever the future was still going to bring, the true constant, the true anchor in Ali’s life was Ash. As long as she was with Ash, as long as they loved each other then nothing else really mattered. 

* * *

 

She remembers their first fight in the apartment, after a particularly wild night out with their teammates. All Ash had wanted to do was to dance with Ali, kiss her on the dance floor like any normal couple, but Ali had almost jolted away. _Not here Ash_.  _There are too many people Ash, not here_. Ash had kept her cool in front of the team, not wanting to make a scene, but the minute they got back to their place, she let out all her frustration. 

“I just want to kiss my fucking girlfriend Alex. I just want to hold your hand and show the world that we’re together and I’m not ashamed. Are you ashamed of me Ali, is that it?”

Ali had burst into tears at that, sobs wracking her body. “I could never be ashamed of you Ash! Don’t be so ridiculous! I want that too. I want that so bad, but it’s so difficult. I don’t want our careers, your career to be overshadowed by me, by us. By this. It’s all people ever comment on every picture of us and I’m sick of it because it’s none of their business, it’s just you and me and I want it to just be you and me forever. I just want it to be you and me,” Ali had trailed off, the tears flowing freeing now and her body shaking with sobs.

Ash had softened slightly, pulling Ali in closer. “It’s always you and me baby. You and me against the world. But the world is a big place, and you’re a superstar so people are going to take notice. So let them take notice, let them take notice and learn from you just what it means to love and be loved in return.”

Ali had nodded into the blonde’s neck, tears staining her neck, eyelashes fluttering closed. Ash could just make out a muffled “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok Alex. It’s ok,” and Ali had lost herself in Ash’s dizzy kisses that night, clinging to her closer as if any sudden movement would take Ash away from her forever. 

* * *

She remembers their first Christmas together in the apartment. She had woken up to an oversized child beaming over her, placing a chaste kiss to her lips. 

“Merry Christmas baby!” Ash grinned and Ali, still half asleep, had smiled up at Ash. 

“God I love you.”

“Mmm I love you too Alex, but only if you’ve got me a really good present.”

Ali had laughed and had attempted to climb out of bed, but Ash grabbed her wrist, kissing it before she left soft kisses on her neck, tracing a slow, torturous line with her tongue up to her lips, biting on Ali’s bottom lip. 

“But first I want to make this a Christmas morning to remember.” Ash’s voice was low, eyes dark, breath shallow. 

That was always Ali’s favourite way to wake up. 

* * *

She remembers everything, three years of memories with the blonde that she could never forget. But it was time to make new memories. It was time to settle down and make a home, make a life together. It was time to marry each other, have children together and grow old together. And as she steps onto the plane with Ash, their belongings on the road ready to meet them in a few days, she knows that even though D.C will always be her hometown, her safe refuge and childhood memory, Orlando was going to become her home, her family, her life. So she falls asleep in Ash’s lap on the plane, soothed by her girlfriend running her fingers through her hair. She’s woken with a soft kiss to her lips as the plane lands. 

Ash grabs their luggage and when they’re  _there_ , when they’re  _home,_  standing in front of their new house, Ali suddenly stops, breathing slowly, taking all of this in.

Ash turns to Ali, slightly concerned until she sees the way Ali is looking at the house, looking at her, recognising Ali’s emotions mirrored in her own. This was it. This was their future and their life. This was their house and their place to make new memories. 

“I know,” Ash whispers gently to Ali, kissing her. “You ready?”

“I’m ready,” Ali states, and as she steps through the door, fingers interlaced with Ash’s she is overwhelmed with emotions: happiness, excitement, nervousness, love. So she just stands there, taking it all in, feeling Ash rest her chin on her shoulder, arms encircling her from behind. 

“This is it baby, we made it,” Ali smiles at her girlfriend’s words and turns in Ash’s arms.

“I love you Ash. God I love you so much.”

“I love you too Alex. Now, forever and always.”

So this was home. Ash was home. Now, forever, and always.


End file.
